Introduction
Since its inception, dedication has significantly contributed to developing many areas of society. This concept is often considered the basis for many discoveries and innovations worldwide. At the same time, Greek deduction was one of the reasons why there was a division between ancient Greek mathematics and ancient Egyptian mathematics. By relying on deduction, Greek mathematics became more theoretical, while Egyptian remained rooted in practicality.
Deduction
First, it is worth noting that both Greek and Egyptian mathematics have made a significant contribution and have an undeniable value for society. Despite this, their approaches and concepts differ significantly, which requires special attention. Thus, Greek mathematics relied heavily on the foundations of deduction, which were developed based on formal deductive reasoning, considered Euclidean geometry. It is noted that it “requires higher-order inductive, deductive, and intuitive reasoning” (Bayaga et al., 2019, p. 33). This concept made it possible to form such mathematical concepts as axiomatic systems. In this case, some statements based on smaller axioms are obtained by applying logic and deduction.
Irrational Numbers
An easier-to-understand phenomenon that came from Greek mathematics is irrational numbers. Hence, it was believed that there are only rational numbers, but the idea of this concept has changed with the discovery of such numbers as the square root of two. This innovation contributed to the definition of more than two types of numbers, which also transformed Greek mathematics. In other words, Greek mathematics was mainly based on theory rather than practice in forming its postulates.
Greek mathematics had significant differences from Egyptian mathematics, which deepened due to the advancement of the deductive approach. So, the main difference between the science of these people was that they based their teaching on practical applications and problem-solving. In other words, this aspect was implemented in areas such as measuring land during construction. Thus, unlike deduction, which the Greeks primarily applied, the Egyptians were based on concepts such as specific methods and measurements based on practical knowledge and experience.
Multiplication and Division
One of the main contributions of mathematics, which developed in ancient Egypt, was the introduction of such actions as multiplication and division. Research stated that “the two-column method was the standard technique for performing multiplication, though doubling was not the only permissible operation: halving and multiplying or dividing by ten were among the other options” (Hollings & Parkinson, n.d., p. 29). In the center of this action were hieroglyphic symbols, which were considered numbers. Thus, the formed principles of operating with numbers, such as division and multiplication, developed in Egyptian mathematics, are widely used today.
Conclusion
In conclusion, Greek and Egyptian mathematics had significant differences and became separate due to the development of such a concept as deduction. The study showed that scientists relied more on practical aspects in Egypt, developing various operations based on experience. Hence, such phenomena as division and multiplication were introduced and are used today. On the other hand, Greek mathematics had, by relying on deduction, a more theoretical approach. Within the framework of this thought, the concept of axioms was developed, which is part of Euclidean geometry.
References
Bayaga, A., Mthethwa, M. M., Bossé, M. J., & Williams, D. (2019). Impacts of implementing geogebra on eleventh grade student’s learning of Euclidean Geometry. South African Journal of Higher Education, 33(6), 32-54. Web.
Hollings, C. D., & Parkinson, R. B. (n.d.). Differing Approaches to Ancient Egyptian Mathematics. Problems to Mathematics, 28.